A study of how the major military religious orders of the 12th and 13th century were viewed by the rulers, the clergy, the laity, and themselves. Also considers the representation of them in literary sources and legend. Other orders are also mentioned when there is information about attitudes toward them, but by far the most evidence is for the three. Adapted from Nicholson's 1989 Ph.D. thesis for the University of Leicester. Acidic paper. Distributed in the US by St. Martin's Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Includes genealogical charts of kings and noblemen associated with the search for the grail.

An introduction to the Rules and Customaries of the main religious Orders in Medieval Europe: Benedictine, Cistercian, Carthusian, Augustinian, Premonstratensian, Templar, Hospitaller, Teutonic, Dominican, Franciscan, and Carmelite.

The military and religious orders of the Templars and the Hospitallers were a driving force throughout the long history of the crusades. Here, their daily business of recruitment, fund raising, farming, shipping and communal life is explored.